In a partnership kicking off at NPE2018, three mold makers — Mold Craft Inc., Westminster Tool Inc. and Extreme Tool & Engineering Inc. — have formed the Plastics Technology Alliance.
The alliance, acting as a joint venture, will provide single quoting for injection molds, drawing on the strengths of each company. The Plastics Technology Alliance "can simplify the complex," the group said on the alliance's website.
"Our collaborative team's willingness, ability and commitment to quality allows us to handle significant, large mold and product programs with ease," the Plastics Technology Alliance said on its website. "Expertise in innovative design, automation development, tight tolerances and best-in-class processes and procedures gets the job done right the first time, on time."
All three companies remain independent mold makers, but will function as a single group, said Hillary Coombs, vice president of Westminster Tool in Plainfield, Conn. Customers could be referred to one of the three, or the partners could work together on building the same molds packages, she said in a telephone interview.
Mold Craft is based in Willernie, Minn. Extreme Tool is in Wakefield, Mich.
The three mold makers share common core values, Coombs said, including improving the mold-making industry, creating a strong internal corporate culture and being active in workforce development, and quality.
"We believe in doing things the right way," she said.
Mike Zacharias, president of Extreme Tool, said the partners "all have a strong core teamwork and culture."
"We all apply technology at the highest level, so we all use very high-tech methods. And we're all committee to excellence," he said.
At NPE2018, Mold Craft will be exhibiting in Booth W4207. Extreme Tool will be in Booth W5391. Westminster Tool officials will at in the Maruka USA stand, where their mold will be running, at Booth W1103.
